Since the entire United States is going to grind to a halt, now would be an excellent time to discuss whether we want to reboot it or install a new operating system.
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One of the reasons we haven't simplified the tax code here is because it keeps CPAs employed. That sort of forced inefficiency isn't good. It's like paying someone to fill holes because we're paying someone else to dig holes. Better to find other uses for our shovels.
One of the reasons we haven't tossed out our healthcare system and adopted what the rest of the developed world uses is because of the power of private health insurers. Lots of jobs will be lost. Good. That will free up even more shovels.
Our military is a bloated, wasteful mess. We still build aircraft carriers, even though they are a tactical liability. We built a new jet that's not very good. Mostly to keep industries and soldiers employed. That's a ton of shovels digging holes and filling them back in.
Our commute times and work environments are not optimized. Some people can work from home, saving daycare costs, travel time and costs, and free up people to live closer to their extended families. Real estate could look much different. More affordable homes are in rural areas.
All the shovels we free up, which are currently digging and filling holes, can be used to build new and better things. A smarter grid. A stronger healthcare system. More parks and preserves. Plus all the new companies and art that people will create.
The United States is the oldest democracy, which is a bragging right and also a liability. It was built on slavery, with poorly worded gun rights, no equal protection clauses, and many other failings. Since then, the calcification of our bureaucracy has grown worse.
Now is a great time to fix that. Turn our military into a force for fighting this virus. Transition our troops to infrastructure and health work. Recognize the actual threats we face, not the fantasies we concoct. We need nurses, drones, and coders to keep us safe, not tanks.
We need to fix our democracy. One person = one vote. People should elect their representatives, not empty acreage. Voting should be easy, and registration should be automatic. We should be able to mail in our votes and keep paper trails.
Education should be a right, not a luxury. Forgive student loans now. Make college affordable for everyone. Pay teachers more, and lionize their efforts so they feel appreciated.
How will we pay for this? I ask how we will pay for what we've already done. We will spend trillions getting out of this. Do we put trillions into the oldest house on the block, or realize when it's time to build something newer and better?
The folks who built our house knew it wasn't perfect. They included a list of fixes immediately, and they told us to keep tinkering. If we pass up this opportunity to make real changes, then when will we?
We may see unemployment reach 10% or 20%. In addition to a basic income for everyone, the government should subsidize training and hiring to put those idle shovels to work making the country better and stronger. We did this in the past. Some of our great national parks were born.
We should take advantage of this unprecedented shutdown. Boot up something new and better. Put people back to work doing something that makes sense and gets us ready for the unknown challenges that lie ahead. We're going to spend trillions. Let's do it wisely.
